10/27/2021 – Grace McCallum, Carry your Rosary

Olympic gymnast Grace McCallum competed on the USA gymnastic team that took silver in the Tokyo Olympics. “The 18-year-old is making headlines, not just for her skills at the vault, but also for her Catholic faith…. According to Sandy (mother), Grace carries a rosary and a special cross from her grandmother wherever she goes. Sandy explained: “She travels with those things to kind of bring her peace and calm,” Sandy said. “Grace won’t travel anywhere without them.”Sandy went on to note that the two of them make a point of finding a Catholic church wherever they travel. This, she said, “keeps [her] sane” as they deal with the rigorous schedule of a competitive athlete.Grace is one of five siblings, born to a devout Catholic family….one of the things the family values most is prayer. In fact, Grace credits her 2019 bronze medal win to prayers to St. Philomena, her confirmation saint. The day of the competition fell on St. Philomena’s feast day, August 11. Grace says she knows that her talent was a gift from God… “Definitely, whenever I have a rough day, in the gym or competition, I just know God gave me this talent,” Grace said. “I need to use it and not waste it.”